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The Scales of Justice

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The Scales of Justice
Series titles with an part image of the Old Bailey statue
GenreDrama
Presented byEdgar Lustgarten
ComposerJohnny Douglas
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerJack Greenwood
Running time30 Minutes
Production companyMerton Park Studios
Original release
Release1962 (1962) –
1967 (1967)

The Scales of Justice was a series of 13 British cinema featurettes produced from 1962 to 1967 for Anglo-Amalgamated at Merton Park Studios in London.[1] The first nine episodes were made in black and white, and the last four were made in colour. The final episode, Payment in Kind, was Merton Park's last production.

They were based on criminal cases, and each film was introduced by crime writer Edgar Lustgarten. The series derives its title from the symbolic scales held by the statue of Justice, which is situated above the dome of London's Central Criminal Court, The Old Bailey. In the opening narration, she is described as having "in her right hand, the Sword of Power and Retribution, and in her left – The Scales of Justice". The opening seenes of the initial six episodes were narrated by Michael Hordern.

The end version of the theme music for the series (by Johnny Douglas) was performed by The Tornados. It was re-recorded and released as the B side of their single "The Ice Cream Man".

The series became widely known in the UK when it was broadcast as a TV series in various ITV regions during the 1970s. In July 2017, the series aired on the television channel Talking Pictures TV.

In October 2012, Network released the complete series as a two-disc DVD set.

Episode guide

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Title Date Cast Director Format Story
1. "The Guilty Party" 1962 Zena Marshall, Anthony Jacobs, Derek Francis, Jack Gwillim, Wensley Pithey, Kenneth Thornett Lionel Harris B&W Edward Sinclair and his wife Thelma live surrounded by wealth and luxury, but Sinclair is heavily in debt.
2. "A Woman's Privilege" 1962 Bernard Archard, Ann Lynn, Patrick Wymark, Ernest Clark, Noel Hood, Pamela Greer, Gerald Cross Anthony Bushell B&W On a cruise to cheer herself up after a broken romance, Shirley Fawsett meets Joe Ashton. The result is a court case where he sues her for breach of promise.
3. "Moment of Decision" 1962 Ray Barrett, Pat Healy, Marjie Lawrence, Lisa Madron, Mike Sarne, Michael Aspel, Norman Claridge John Knight B&W A nursemaid loses the baby in her charge.
4. "Position of Trust" 1963 Derrick Sherwin, Imogen Hassall, Edward Atienza, Peter Barkworth, Geoffrey Chater, Cyril Luckham, Robert Lankesheer Lionel Harris B&W The extroverted son of a powerful industrialist meets a pretty French girl named Yvonne at a Bohemian night spot, becoming infatuated, gradually growing their relationship resulting in an illicit weekend away from his fiancée. The weekend begins promisingly, but after their first night together, a man barges into their Brighton hotel bedroom, claiming to be a private detective acting for Yvonne's husband.
5. "The Undesirable Neighbour" 1963 Vanda Godsell, Bridget Armstrong, Anthony Newlands, Ronald Hatton, Garfield Morgan, Dorinda Stevens Gordon Hales B&W When a young married couple move into a new home, the wife is popular with the local men, which starts gossip.
6. "The Invisible Asset" 1963 Kenneth J. Warren, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Annette Carell, Gabriella Licudi, Stanley Morgan, Kenneth Benda, Peter Bathurst, Philip Latham Norman Harrison B&W In a city restaurant, the owner blackmails influential customers by using a hidden microphone on a special table.
7. "Personal and Confidential" 1965 Robert Cartland, Harry Littlewood, Howard Lang, Geoffrey Toone, Jeffrey Segal, Windsor Davies, Patrick Carter, Don McKillop Geoffrey Nethercott B&W Found in the briefcase of the man in Room 755, who fell, or was pushed, from a seventh storey window is a red file, marked "Top Secret".
The Hidden Face" 1965 Christine Finn, Richard Butler, Alex Macintosh, Robert James, Gretchen Franklin, Vernon Dobtcheff, Peter Stephens, David Garth Patrick Dromgoole B&W Jane Penshurst writes a book attacking Ronald Milson MP. When Milsom shoots himself, his son William seeks revenge.
9. "The Material Witness" 1965 Noel Travarthen, Reginald Marsh, Sally Nesbitt, Harry Locke, Hector Ross, John Horsley, Steve Peters Geoffrey Nethercott B&W A young man is the personal assistant to a company executive who has little time for him.
10. "Company of Fools" 1966 Barrie Ingham, Jacqueline Jones, Maurice Kaufmann, Garfield Morgan Peter Duffell Colour Five strangers from varied walks of life investigate the life of a man who has caused them all serious financial losses, and they seek to exact their own private revenge.
The Haunted Man" 1966 Keith Barron, James Ellis, Alexandra Bastedo, Isobel Black, Tenniel Evans, Dallas Cavell Stanley Willis Colour Actor Bill Kenton, injured trying to prevent a raid on a shop, returns to his career, to find that he cannot remember his lines. Forced to leave the theatre, he becomes a man obsessed with finding the thieves.
12. "Infamous Conduct" 1966 Dermot Walsh, Bridget Armstrong, Ewen Solon, Richard Warner, Terry Wale Richard Martin Colour Struck off the medical register, surgeon Anthony Searle meets Dixon, a bank robber on the run, and Dixon wants a "face job".
13. "Payment in Kind" 1967 Justine Lord, Maxine Audley, Brian Haines, Derrick Sherwin, Gwen Cherrell, Henry McGee, Peter Bathurst Peter Duffell Colour The dedicated wife of a struggling businessman falls behind on the hire purchase payments, and the debt collector suggests "payment in kind".

References

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  1. ^ "The Scales of Justice". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
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